1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in foot pedal sound effect generator mounting boards and more particularly to a pedal board of the type stated which allows for connection of a plurality of foot pedal operated sound effect generators in a desired array with respect to a musical instrument to thereby alter the sound created by the musical instrument.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the use of sound effects generated in conjunction with music from a musical instrument has become quite popular. There are a variety of foot pedal operated sound effect generators which are operated by the players of musical instruments in conjunction with the playing of the instruments to generate a desired sound effect along with the music. Typical sound effects which can be generated include, for example, distortion, wah-wah sounds, so-called "screaming" effects and the like.
These sound effect generators are typically referred to as foot pedals or typically "pedals". Generally, the pedals are used in conjunction with the instrument and an amplifier such that the musical instrument is connected to an amplifier for amplifying the sounds generated by the instrument and for playback on a speaker. The sound effect generators are connected to the amplifier so that the sound effects are mixed with the music generated by the musical instrument. In other cases, the sound effects are mixed with the music and introduced into other forms of auxiliary sound generating components, such as a tape recorder or a sound track, which may already have other prerecorded music thereon. These other auxiliary sound generating components may either amplify or otherwise capture sound, such as another sound effect processing unit.
A player of a musical instrument, such as a guitar, for example, may desire to obtain many different types of sound effects and therefore would be required to employ a plurality of foot pedal operated sound effect generators in conjunction with playing of the musical instrument. When the sound effect generators are employed, the musician typically places these foot pedals or generators on the floor of the facility in which the musician is playing. After the musician may engage one or more of the foot pedals on one or more occasions, the foot pedal tends to move and thus, are not in a position where the musician would expect the-foot pedals to be when next required for use. This is particularly a problem when a number of foot pedals are used in combination. Thus, the logistics of maintaining each of the foot pedals in a proper position so that the musician knows the location of those foot pedals by feel is quite complicated.
In addition to the foregoing, each of these foot pedals must be connected by a plurality of cables, either to one another or to the amplifier and to the guitar or other instrument. The plurality of cables interconnecting the various sound effect generators and the amplifier or other auxiliary sound generating component and musical instrument and the one or more speakers tend to become entangled with one another and often times will interfere with the ability of the musician to use his or her feet to engage the foot pedal operated sound effect generators.
There has been at least one proposed stand for foot pedal controls used in conjunction with a musical instrument, such as a keyboard, as for example, that device taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,415, dated May 1, 1984 to Izquierdo. This particular device proposes a case or box with a removable top which can be raised in the form of a stand to hold the keyboard and with the foot pedals operationally located beneath the keyboard.
While the device proposed in the Izquierdo patent does provide for the locating of a plurality of foot pedals, it is specifically limited to use with an instrument which is disposed on the keyboard stand and foot pedals located therebeneath. Moreover, the Izquierdo patent does not provide for any means to fixedly, but nevertheless removably, mount the foot pedal sound effect generators in a specific position. Finally, the device in the Izquierdo patent is designed to be constructed in the form of a stand when in use, which is not only time consuming but requires numerous movable parts.
There has also been a pedal board offered by a company known as the Roland Corporation of Los Angeles, Calif. which includes a base, such as a pedal board, along with a carrying case therefore. Moreover, the Roland device is also designed to hold foot pedals. However, in the case of the Roland device, the board is provided with a plurality of recesses or pockets molded into a plastic base and which are each suitably sized to receive a foot pedal. However, the base in the Roland device is not universally adaptable and is only designed to receive those specific foot pedals offered by Roland and used in conjunction with musical instruments offered by the Roland Corporation and which are specifically sized for use on the Roland pedal board.
The commercially available foot pedals which provide differing types of sound effects are frequently made by differing organizations and will often come in different sizes and shapes. Hence, the pocket arrangement of the type in the Roland device is not suitable to retain these other commercially available foot pedals and is therefore is limited only to use with the foot pedals offered by the Roland Corporation.
There has also been a pedal board arrangement offered by Fxperts Pedal Boards of Raleigh, N.C. However, although this pedal board arrangement does consist of a base board, it has no means for electrically connecting the pedal boards and no means to retain the pedals in exact fixed positions. In addition, it has no means for providing electrical power to the various pedals. In effect, this device primarily serves only as a carrying case.